Wire-stretcher



(No Model.)

1). J. VAN VLAGK & F. L. MATHER. WIRE STRETGHER.

No. 531,813. Patented Jan. 1, 1895.

Figy 5 Z 2 5" 1 \Nitnesses: InventorS.

A morn eys UNiTED STATES PATENT @rric.

DANIEL J. VAN VLACK, or SILVER CREEK, AND FREDERICK L. MATHER, or BROCTON, NEW YORK.

WlRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,813, dated January 1, 1895.

Application filed July 9, 1894. Serial No, 516,904. (No model.)

To a ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, DANIEL J .VAN VLACK, residing at Silver Creek, and FREDERICK L. MATHER, residing at Brocton, in'the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, citizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of wire stretchers or clamps which consist essentially of a pair of levers provided in rear of their fulcrums with gripping jaws between which the wire is clamped, and which are capable of grasping a wire at any point between its ends as well as at its ends.

Our invention has for its object to produce a stretching device of this character which is readily applied to and removed from the wire and in which the pivots of the clamping levers are relieved from strain.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of our improved wire stretcher showing a wire between its jaws. Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof in line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in both figures.

A A represent the clamping levers of the stretcher which are pivotally attached at their front portions to a head or casing B by transverse rivets or bolts 0, each clamping lever being attached to the casing independently of the other.

cl represents the gripping faces or jaws which are formed on the opposing portions of the two levers, a short distance in rear of their pivots and which are preferably corrugated, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to form a bend in the wire, whereby the same is effectually prevented from slipping in the jaws.

The portions of the clamping levers on which the gripping jaws are formed are substantially parallel in their closed position, while the handles or main portions of the levers diverge rearwardly and are connected by links E E or other means with a draft ring F to which any ordinary stretching it tackle may be attached.

The casing B is open-ended for the passage of the wire and comprises a bottom plate 1),

side walls 1'), arranged atright angles to the bottom plate, and lips or flanges b projecting inwardly from the upper portions of the side walls and separated by a space or aperture 13 through which the Wire enters between the gripping jaws. The pivots 0 pass through the bottom plate of the casing, the flanges b and the openings at in the clamping levers.

The rear faces a of the clamping levers, located opposite the jaws d are so arranged relatively to the adjacent side walls of the casing that as soon as the gripping jaws close upon the wire, such rear faces bear against the side walls and rock on the same as a fulcrum, thus transferring the fulcrums of the levers from the pivots c to said rear faces and relieving the pivots from strain. To f cilitate this action of the lovers, their rear faces are made convex, as shown. In order to remove the strain wholly from the lever pivots the pivot-openings of the clamping lovers are made sufficiently larger than the pivots to prevent contact of the latter with the walls of the openings when the jaws are closed, as shown in Fig. 1. The pivots thus serve merely to connect the clamping lovers to the casing and retain them in their proper relative position, while the strain of the levers is borne solely by the casing.

By this construction the wire stretcher is capable of withstanding considerable strain without liability of breaking. As the wire enters between the gripping jaws from the side of the casing the stretcher can be readily applied to the wire at any desired point and be as readily removed after stretching the same.

We claim as our invention 1. The combination with a head or casing, of clamping levers arranged to fulcrum against said casing and provided on their opposing faces with gripping jaws, and retaining devices connecting the clarnping lovers with said head or casing, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a head or casing consisting of a bottom plate, side walls, and lips or flanges projecting inwardly from said side walls, of clamping levers provided on their opposing faces with gripping jaws and on their rear sides, opposite said jaws, with Witness our hands this 27th day of Jun 1894:.

DANIEL J. VAN VLAOK. FREDERICK L. MATHER.

Witnesses:

J. O. RUSS, A. A. FAY. 

